8 images of impact craters in space: Tales of destruction

8 images of impact craters in space

Tales of destruction

An estimated half million asteroids are flying around our solar system, ranging from the size of baby planets to particles of dust. With so many objects winging about in space, it’s no wonder that the planets and moons of our solar system are pitted with craters. We know that the Earth contains the scars of asteroid impacts, with some impact craters on our planet measuring millions and even billions of years old. These impacts have unquestionably altered both the evolutionary and geological trajectory of our planet; imagine what similar impacts have done to other planets. Here are eight images of amazing impact craters in our solar system, each telling its own tale of mysterious destruction. (Text: Katherine Butler)